Alabama legislator proposes destroying, banning gay books

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Velociryx
Oh I don't disagree that a community should be given wide lattitude with regards to education, however, at present, in the country, homosexuality is not outlawed.

Because it is not outlawed, banning/burning books that make mention of the topic stretches the desires of the community a bit far.

I agree. As I said before, even if it is passed into law (which is extremely unlikely) it wont be upheld because it isnt a 'community' its the state (as a minimum).

Contrast that to the example you gave a moment ago. NAMBLA is an outlawed organization. We have laws prohibiting adults from having sexual relations with children, so yes, materials circulating in schools on this same topic would obviously be disallowed (and without much debate, I would imagine).

It was a bad choice as an analogy. I believe the jist of the argument still holds though.

The point remains that one cannot "educate" if one selectively ignores the realities out there in the world, and irreparable damage can be caused in the name of "protecting our children" when we turn them loose in the world unprepared for the realities.

One tangible effect? We wind up with the next crop of bigots and racists.

-=Vel=-

I'm not denying that there are consequences of such behaviour, I simply assert their right to be narrow minded.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


For us, it's called summer.

Exactly.

[chequita guevara]

We just don't get to jump in the ice cold snow afterwards, though when you hit that 70 degree air conditioning, you'll think you did.

[Velociryx]

Yep...as a community, they do indeed have the right to be as bigoted and narrow minded as they wish.

Their schools, however, which are getting Federal matching funds, do not have such a luxury.

I'm afraid that my position is that if they wish to teach bigotry, then they are free to pursue that "education" at home, after class.

School though, should be illuminating, not selectively blinded.

-=Vel=-

[Heresson]

Nah nah nah dumb Alabamians.
you don't burn heretic books only.
You oughta burn the heretic too.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Velociryx
School though, should be illuminating, not selectively blinded.

-=Vel=-

Ahhh, let them. That means we won't have to compete against Alabamians for jobs.

[Velociryx]

Good point, but if memory serves, Alabama is already behind even SC in education, so we rarely have to compete with 'em now!

-=Vel=-

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Asher

First, we're talking elementary schools, not high-schools.

The school had elementary-school pupils too. Do you hold their education was stalinism-tinged?

Second, the parents who choose a secular school do not want any religion involved in their education, which includes bibles (some argue they are religious books ).

They might have whatever outlandish ideas they wish. The state - which pays for schools - shouldn't encourage them.

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by Velociryx
Good point, but if memory serves, Alabama is already behind even SC in education, so we rarely have to compete with 'em now!

-=Vel=-

Yeah, but the ones that drag our statistics down never want to leave their home counties anyway, so you were safe to begin with.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
The school had elementary-school pupils too. Do you hold their education was stalinism-tinged?

They might have whatever outlandish ideas they wish. The state - which pays for schools - shouldn't encourage them.

I simply don't understand your point.

Bibles are available in religious schools, and are not in secular schools.

This makes sense to me...

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Azazel
gay != intellectual.

book burning/book banning is anti-intellectual

[Last Conformist]

@Asher: Well, it makes no sense whatsoever to me.

Would Qurans, too, be off-limits in secular schools? The Bhagavadgita? Homerus?


Edit: Damn xposting gays!

[Velociryx]

Solo!

-=Vel=-
(SC ranks, IIRC 47th in the nation, education-wise, so I fully realize that this pokes as much fun as my home state...we're bottom of the barrel and crotch of the bible belt, all in one breath!)

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
I'm doing nothing of the sort.

Just making the point, that books in elementary schools are censored, and people approve of this censorship. Why one book should be included and not another, is a decision made by librarians all the time.

Well you can't pin the word "hypocrisy" on me, because I would fully accept including the Bible in public school library collections.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by axi


Banning the classics are we? What's next, Oliver Twist?

Those books listed are challenged books, but they haven't necessarily all been challenged by the religious right (as Molly Bloom would have you believe). For example, left wing PC police have made efforts to block Huck Fin, because it uses the N word.